Tuesday, 28 July 2009

I have just spent a wonderful five days in St Jean de Luz with my good friends Peter and Nicola and their two young boys. Not having children myself I had seriously underestimated how much work is involved, it's exhausting. However, tiring as it was it was lovely to show friends around the Basque country. I even managed to convey just how stressful my life down here is. In search of a supermarket Nicola and I set forth to Spain. In order to reduce the risk of adverse stress we first headed to San Sebastian for tapas, ice cream and a walk on the beach. This gave us the required energy and ensured tranquility.

Otherwise, time has been spent enjoying the wonderful weather whilst building sandcastles and bodysurfing. St Jean de Luz has truly blossomed into tourist season. I had not factored on how challenging it can be living in a town that is visited by so many people. A simple visit to the baker in the morning takes twice as long: the queue is that much longer and the streets that much busier. It did add to the sense of fun and I think that the boys in particular enjoyed the happy atmosphere.

We exchanged views on whether it is better or not to have children, it seems as though the grass is always greener and that it suits some more than others, we were all happy with our lot. There is seemingly a higher than average proportion of people in the Basque country who do not have children. The blood type common to people in these parts is reported to not be optimal for holding a pregnancy. As such it is relatively normal for husbands and wifes to remain as couples which given the social demands of St Jean de Luz is probably just as well!

Basque Bylines

Traversing the planet is always good for the soul but so is returning home. Following ten months in Outer Mongolia a Scotsman and his wife return from the Steppe. Back in St Jean de Luz the sun still sits high in the sky, Gateau Basque remains as tempting as ever and life in the Basque Country moves forever onwards at its own luxurious pace. Having answered one important question, one remains:

What makes gateau Basque taste so good?

[What made Chinggis Khaan so darned angry? Nothing rhymed with his name which as a budding poet grated heavily and have you ever tried to run the world's greatest ever empire from a ger on the remote Steppe surrounded by camels at -40C?]